Thread: How To: Side Gap Spark Plugs

Those washers are supposed to be there hehe, I mean using indexing washers like I did, those are not suggested in my opinion hehe.

I would prefer not to use the extra washers at all. I think I'll just keep them at their mediocore indexing location for right now. But when I replace them, I will buy 8 or so and index them all and return the ones that didn't index very well.

I know it's been beat to death in the other threads that I searched, but has it ever been solidified what gapping works best on a NA lowport RR? I am planning on side gapping probably this weekend.

I wouldn't honestly worry about it THAT much, midcore indexing gave me 2whp anyway. But side gapping was what made the power, now I was also told that at 0.032 and not side gapped I probably was blowing out the spark, but side gapping helped the spark not get blown out.

I would say your best bet is 0.039 for NA.

7whp is easily within the % error of a dyno...

Lol I've done 24 total runs, all of them were consistent depending on what mods.

Since all the runs before and after had similar if not the same numbers, I'm pretty positive it is just from side gapping. What does explain it is, it reduced the spark blow out.

Bumpski

I plan on side gapping today. You said 0.039 would be best for my NA application. Does that number account for the side gapping? Because I know you said you need to adjust the number by .10.

Yes that should do fine, that would technically equal to a .049 gap. Which for NA on a OBDII car should be fine. Reason I say OBDII because older SR20's had a weaker ignition system, but it has improved since then.

I'm running a .032 side gap on my turbo car. I'm thinking about side gapping my other set to .022 and take it to the dyno .

Thank you kindly. I just side gapped them at .39. Haven't driven with them like that, but it started up and sounded fine.

are you running side cut plugs on your turbo application? ive been huge plug gap on my setup .45'' i wonder if i could run this large of a gap on side cut plugs?

If your running 0.045" what ignition system do you have? I was blowing the stock gap, 0.032", thus I got more power from side gapping because it reduced spark blowout.